Feb 5, 2013

The pros and cons of making a will online

With the prolific rise of the internet, it is possible to buy practically anything from the comfort of your own home. And it’s not just useful for its ability to allow you to buy a new pair of shoes or a new handbag; the World Wide Web has also paved the way for people to create legal documents online and even make a will.

Creating wills online is a modern phenomenon and being so new many people have concerns and reservations about the validity of creating a will via the internet. If you are thinking of making your will online as opposed to going to a bricks and mortar solicitor, you may want to take a look at the following pros and cons of online wills.

Less expensive
Making a will on the internet is considerably less expensive than having it made out by a professional solicitor. An online company that specialises in creating wills will generally charge a one-off fee for the service which would work out significantly cheaper than having a solicitor create the document as they usually charge by the hour at quite a hefty rate.
Further savings can be made when writing a will online as many companies offer discounts to people who get their friends and family signed up for the service too.

Quicker
It can take several months for a solicitor to draw up a will for you. Using the internet for the service can significantly reduce that amount of time, and you can even have a documented will and testament in as little as 15 minutes. Whilst this is only a sample will, and may need to be taken to a solicitor’s office to be verified, the bulk of the work will be done saving you time and money.

Less security
One of the main reasons we create a will is for peace of mind. It is important to remember that if a will has been created by somebody who is not deemed mentally capable then it is not legally valid. In this sense it is perhaps safer to personally interact with a professional solicitor to give you that additional peace of mind but many online services offer phone helplines and other services to help bridge this gap.